Comet coming in 2013 could be brighter than the moon

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Comet coming in 2013 could be brighter than the moon

Right now Ison is just another faint dot in the night sky only visible using advanced telescopes. Yet in 2013, the comet could draw millions outside to witness what could be the brightest comet seen in generations.

According to the Independent the Comet Ison was found by a group of researchers at a Russian observatory.

Ison has taken millions of years to reach the inner solar system traveling though the Oort cloud – a region of space just outside our solar system that is made up chunks of rock and ice, leftovers from the formation of the planets.

Ison’s surface is believed to be darker than asphalt, pockmarked and dusty with ice beneath the surface. It is relatively small, only a few tens of miles across.

By summer, Ison will be visible to small telescopes and binoculars. In October it’s expected to pass close to Mars.

By November the comet will be visible to the naked eye just after dark. As Ison swings around the Sun it will become even brighter, although you will need special eyewear to see it during the day because it will be so close to the sun.

Sky watchers be warned however, CNET reports astronomers say the comet could break up as it approaches the sun.

Ison will not be the only spectacular comet in the sky next year. PanSTARS, discovered last year, could also be a magnificent object in the evening sky.